title: Effects of increased homeostatic sleep pressure on postural control and their modulation by attentional resources.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to determine how increased sleep pressure interferes with postural control according to the availability of attentional resources and visual input.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen healthy young adults performed a psychomotor vigilance task and postural tasks after a night of sleep and after 25 h of sleep deprivation. Primary outcome variables were calculated from the center of pressure (CoP) displacement measured by two force plates in various cognitive load and visual state conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sleep deprivation increased CoP anterior-posterior range in the no cognitive load condition and decreased CoP mediolateral range and velocity in the high cognitive load conditions. Sleep deprivation effects on the mediolateral range in the eyes open high cognitive load condition were significantly correlated with its effects on the psychomotor vigilance task.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sleep deprivation destabilizes postural control when attentional and sensory resources are not challenged. In high cognitive load condition, sleep loss induces a general freezing effect that seems to be modulated by the degree of impairment in psychomotor speed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that sleep pressure has a destabilizing effect on postural control independently of circadian factors, therefore suggesting that sleep debt may be a significant risk factor for falls.
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Rébecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Robillard
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Prince
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boissonneault
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Filipini
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carrier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012890:Sleep; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*